


Five Things That Never Happened To Cloud Strife

by Cephy



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-19
Updated: 2006-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-06 21:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cephy/pseuds/Cephy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Self-explanatory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Things That Never Happened To Cloud Strife

**1.**   
It barely lasts a second. Tifa ducks her head and turns quickly away, but not before he sees the blush on her cheeks. It makes him feel a little better about the fact that his own are hot enough to burn.

He watches her go; she slips through the door of her house without looking back. Dazedly, he lifts one hand to touch his lips.

His face is still red when he gets home, though the thing his mother comments on is his smile.

**2.**  
It's impossible to keep from tugging at his new uniform, even while half-running down a hallway towards his very first inspection. Impossible not to glance down at himself to make sure it's real-- and that's probably how he manages to run headlong into the dark-haired SOLDIER coming the other way.

The SOLDIER looks at him for only a second before his face lights up with a smile. "Hey, it's you again." Mako-bright eyes look down and take in the uniform, and the smile widens. "You made it, hunh? Congratulations."

He manages a weak thanks, and hurries on when the SOLDIER steps out of his way-- though there is no way to miss the man's parting words.

"Welcome to SOLDIER."

**3.**  
The feel of the sword through him isn't _pain_, not yet, more like an overwhelming pressure where there shouldn't be any, and a buzzing along his nerves. That will change-- already there is a burning at the centre of him-- so he gathers what strength he has left. Gritting his teeth, he grasps the shining blade and levers himself against it.

It isn't enough.

His General's eyes look down on him, glittering and contemptuous. And with one hand, Sephiroth lifts his body into the air and swings. He is aware of air against him, of one moment of poised stillness, of falling, of breathless icy cold and then--

**4.**  
He blinks.

The woman kneels before him with her eyes closed. He looks upon her and knows she is an enemy-- knows it like he knows his own breathing, instinctive and unquestionable.

She doesn't move as he steps forward, though he thinks she knows he is there. Something in the set of her shoulders, waiting. In the curve of her lips, accepting. It makes him hesitate, only briefly, with something cold and clawing in his gut.

Her eyes stay closed as he stops just before her, as he lifts the sword, as he brings it down.

Inside his head, someone laughs.

Behind him, someone screams.

He blinks, and remembers. The sword falls from unfeeling fingers and hits the ground in a growing pool of blood.

**5.**  
A hand touched his forehead. Gentle, soft, warm. "Mother?"

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Laughter, and a voice he might have known.

"I guess they must be fond of you." And that voice too, he knew _that_, but where--

"Come on, sleepyhead. Wake up."

He opened his eyes and was momentarily blinded-- white, so white, everywhere. Until something blocked it away, and he was staring into a dearly familiar face. "Aeris?"

More laughter from one side. "See? He remembers you just fine."

He turned his head to find the voice and met an achingly familiar grin-- and he must have been seeing things wrong before, because it wasn't white, it was green-- lush and alive, green grass and flowers under a brilliantly blue, clear sky.

Zack held out a hand and hoisted him to his feet. Aeris slid one arm in close to steady him.

"Ready to go?"

He met their eyes, smiled, and nodded.


End file.
